The organization says it believes many more cases like this exist but are unreported.

Asylum-seekers trying to cross the southern border are largely from countries in Central America.

Conditions in countries like Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador — know as the Northern Triangle — have been described as a "humanitarian crisis." The countries consistently rank among the most violent in the world.

As for the solution? Human Rights First wants officials to abide by the law. The group emphasizes border agents should stop turning asylum-seekers away without counsel and processing protection requests.